GSA Connects 2023 Meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Paper No. 43-2
Presentation Time: 8:00 AM-5:30 PM

OVERVIEW OF THE VERTEBRATE AND FOSSIL WOOD FROM LIBYA


KHAMEISS, Belkasim, University of Kansas, Kansas Geological Survey, Lawrence, KS 66047 and AL RIAYDAH, Mohammed, Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, 1930 Constant Ave., Lawrence,, Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60325, Germany

The most well-known and well-known fossil locations in Libya are reviewed in this paper. The Oligo-Miocene Al Faydiah Formation, specifically the Tobruk region on Al Jabal Al Akhdar, is where the most recent discovery was made. In this Formation, osteichthyes and shark teeth have apparently been discovered. The renowned As Sahabi Formation is in the Northeast of Libya and dates from the late Miocene to the Pliocene epoch. In addition to the fossil wood, there have also been reports of significant quantities of mammal, fish, shark, reptile, and bird remains in this area. The third area is the Jebel Zelten (Gebel Zelten) region, which is in Central Libya close to the Marada Oasis. Here, Early to Middle Miocene fauna, including mammals, birds, crocodiles, turtles, and fossil timber, have been found.

The fourth location is the Middle Eocene-aged Dur At -Tallah, where fossilized wood, fish, reptile, primate, and primate remains have all been found in the fauna. The fifth Locality, the Zella region (Oasis of Zella), has fauna that belongs to the early Oligocene and include fossilized remains of crocodiles, turtles, and other unknown creatures. The sixth fossil locality, in the Hon region of central Libya, is where several vertebrate fauna fragments have been found (undocumented fauna). There are a variety of sites that hold great promise for discovering dinosaur bones. These locations can be in the of Libya in the Jabel Nafusa area, more specifically in areas close to the cities of Nalut and Kiklah. The eighth location, Wadi As Shati, in the southern part of Libya, yielded solely fossil wood, which is Middle Devonian to Late Carboniferous in age.

A promising region to study in the near future is the Middle Carboniferous fossil wood locality in the Kufra area, SE of Libya. The Haua Fteah cave, which is in the northeastern part of Libya, is a very significant location that is connected to the early Homo sapiens living in North Africa and the Mediterranean region. The objective of this study is to entice paleontologists from all over the world to submit grant applications, conduct additional investigations, and support local academic institutions and researchers.